The Federal Government has urged Nigerians not to entertain any fear on the Genetic Modified Organisms, GMOs, products currently in circulation in the country, even as it vowed not to tolerate or allow any unhealthy product to be smuggled to Nigeria.
The circulation of GMOs products gained prominence when a popular radio programme deliberated on it in Abuja. Fears about the product had since gone viral on internet as a dangerous product which had been introduced to Nigeria market.
But speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, the Director-General of the National Biosafety Management Agency, Rufus Ebegba assured that any product that contained GMOs would be labeled.
“It should be clear that no one would be forced to use or consume GMOs in Nigeria. GMOs would be labeled. Nigeria should not be panic. They don’t have to entertain fear for what they are consuming,” he said.
The DG explained that some countries abroad consumed such products which people were smuggling to Nigeria, but stressed that the Federal Government would not tolerate or allow any product that was not good for Nigerians.
Disclosing that the agency was working assiduously with other government agencies in Nigeria to fish-out the products in the country, Ebegba said; “The agency is systematically set up to deal with such challenges and it has been working with security agencies in the country.
“Within the limited resources we have, we are trying to ensure that we take a preliminary steps to see that most of those things are put in place. Some of what we have done is surveying the GMOs in the country.
“We have given people six months ultimatum to formalise their dealings and they cannot pretend to be ignorant of law,” he explained.
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